Tuesday, March 24, 2009

New Ways of Thinking: A New Economy

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The video and interview link at the bottom of this page is worthwhile listening to, or if you prefer, read, which I hope that you do, and that it will lead to serious contemplation of the views of David Korten.

In someway, shape, or form, Americans need to take actions that will lead America to a paradigm shift, a shift in the direction of recognizing communities as the foundation of political and economic initiatives; developing heterarchial vs. hierarchical/patriarchal systems of order in our organizations and in every other aspect of our lives; and, an understanding that the fundamental viability of a democracy is systemically embedded within the grassroots of community organizations, created by individuals in the community; and an understanding that it is a bottom-up and not a trickle-down economy that works.

This paradigmatic shift must include a new way of thinking: a model framed around the economic philosophy of Adam Smith, and not the in vogue contemporary Keynesian model of our current government manipulated economic system. Government needs to regulate and create boundaries, put into place regulatory controls to prevent monopolies, which also includes not allowing companies to become too big to fail, which if allowed, in-and-of itself monopolizes whole sectors of the economy; but beyond that there should be no interference. America needs an economic solution that is based on Main Street, and not Wall Street.

In a metaphorical economic sense, we have to use fire to fight fire in order to combat this current Keynesian Wall Street quagmire created by government, Wall Street, and Main Street, before we can start building the real changes that are necessary.

The reality: the enemy, collectively, is "... government, free markets and capitalism," i.e. in its present form.

In America we have an aversion to "That Accursed Propensity to Save." In my youth saving was an essential prerequisite to spending -- you could not buy that for which you had not saved. This, too, must be imbued into a new way of thinking.

And, last, but certainly not least, to achieve a better life for ourselves, as David Korten stated, "... let’s really get serious about world peace."

David Korten's "Agenda for a New Economy" should not be ignored.

“As President Barack Obama reveals more details of his $825 billion economic stimulus plan [interview took place on January 26, 2009], we turn to David Korten of YES! Magazine. In his new book, Korten argues that the nation faces a monumental economic challenge that goes far beyond anything being discussed in Congress. He writes that now is an opportune moment to move forward an agenda to replace the failed money-serving institutions of our present economy with the institutions of a new economy dedicated to serving life.”

To read, listen to, or watch the whole story: Democracy Now
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